FEW five-star event riders have brought Irish Sport Horses into the global spotlight like British Olympian Oliver Townend.

One of only three riders in history to hit the milestone of having 100 five-stars under his belt, Townend also boasts a shopping list of nine five-star wins and further top places - the majority of which were aboard Irish horses. Townend, incredibly, has made 30 starts at Burghley, 23 at Badminton, 17 at Luhmühlen, 11 at Kentucky, 10 at Pau, three at Maryland, three at World Championships, two in the five-star at Bicton Horse Trials and one at an Olympic Games.

His first two five-star wins came back in 2009 at Badminton aboard Flint Curtis and Burghley with Carousel Quest. He won Burghley again in both 2017 and 2023 with the Irish legend that is Ballaghmor Class, before going on to win Kentucky with him in 2021 and Maryland in 2024. He also won Kentucky in 2018 and 2019 with the now retired Cooley Master Class (ISH) and in 2024 with Cooley Rosalent (ISH).

It was 20 years ago next month when he had his first taste of Badminton with the late Hon William Russell’s Topping (ISH) and this year he is entered aboard his Irish winning machine Ballaghmor Class, who is “just getting better with age” at 18, as well as with Cooley Rosalent.

Townend said his affinity for Irish horses began in his childhood with his father Alan, who was also an event rider, a regular at Goresbridge Sales where he would buy horses to sell to keep the family ‘hobby’ going.

The aforementioned Topping (by the TB stallion Ballinvella (Super Slip)) was Townend’s ticket into the big leagues.

“He was the first top, top horse I had,” he explained. “He’d sort of lost his way a little bit with his previous jockey and I was just lucky enough to get the ride on him when I was 21 and it all kicked off from there. I did my first Badminton on him in 2005 when he was 12 and then, luckily, it was Blenheim European Championships that year and we were allowed to take a few more than normal because of it being on home turf. That was when I got my first British team flag at 22 years old.”

Britain’s Oliver Townend and the 10-year-old Irish-bred mare Cooley Rosalent, pictured during their victory lap after winning the five-star Kentucky Three-Day Event in the USA. Townend has won the event four times \ Michelle Dunn Photo

Character

“He was a character, the big Roman nose, loads of engine. With so many of these good horses you wish you had them now, because you hopefully are still getting better as a rider, so he is one I’d have definitely had even more success with now if I had him.

“He was a proper character, careful jumper, loads of gallop. He wasn’t straightforward in any way but at the same time he had all the ability in the world, which counts for so much. Irish horses are tough horses, and they have a lot of character. Obviously it goes back to pedigrees, and there’s a lot of blood in the back pedigrees of Irish horses. Look at Clover Hill who was by Golden Beaker (TB) - there was always thoroughbred and Draught crosses and I think that created a very tough horse.

“I think that basically Ireland invented breeding event horses, quietly and by accident, because the Draught mare would get taken down the road to the thoroughbred stallion and that’s perhaps where it all started.

"I just think they are good work horses with really great brains and they learn to find their feet very early.

“Another ISH that stands out for me was Cillnabradden Evo (Creevagh Ferro Ex Siebe x King Henry bred by Tom and Orla Holden). Again, he shouldn’t have achieved what he did but he had such a beautiful mind on him. He wasn’t naturally able to go the long distance but because of his willingness he managed to finish sixth at Badminton and won an awful lot of classes and an awful lot of money on the way.

“MHS King Joules (by Ghareeb out of Gowran Lady (Cavalier Royale) bred by Ita Brennan) was another one that I wish I’d had from word go, he was out of the same mother as MHS Going Global. I won at four-star level on him, but he probably came to me a little bit late in his career. Ashdale Cruise Master (by Crusing out of Slys Girl (Master Imp) bred by Michael Doyle) was another good horse; he won the World Cup qualifier at Tattersalls,” Oliver said.

Hardy

“Then there was Golden Hue (by Golden Cliff out of Celtic Princess bred by Angela Brickley). He won the Chatsworth 4*-S. Basically every other horse I’ve ridden has been Irish and was either sold well to keep things going or won at fairly high international level.

“Cooley Master Class (Ramiro B out of The Swallow by Master Imp, bred by John Hagan) was another, but unlike a lot of top horses who were hardy, tough characters he was the opposite. He was like a family pet. You could have brought him into the kitchen and sat him down for tea. He was so gentle and so quiet and a real soft personality.

“I think I only did four five-stars on him, and he won two, was second in one, and didn’t get through the trot-up in the other because of a stud cut.

“He was so reliable, there’s very few horses in three-day eventing at the top level that you can go into the ring and be confident of them trying to jump a clear for you. He was beautifully careful; he definitely would have been a 1.40m winner because of his huge scope and he was so good in front and behind.”

Oliver Townend and the Irish Sport Horse Cooley Master Class finished second at the inaugural Maryland five-star at Fair Hill \ Shannon Brinkman

With regard to his current dynamic duo of Irish horses, Townend is equally complimentary. “Ballaghmor Class (by Courage II out of Kilderry Place, bred by Noel Hickey) is a very robust, tough horse but sensitive as well, a little bit quirky but obviously a good mate at this stage and very hardy,” he said. “If he has two days off he’s not straightforward to get on, he’s quite sharp in his character but ultra, ultra tough, a real professional. He feels like he’s still improving. He just gets better and better every year and I think he’s improved from a flat work point of view since winning Maryland last year.

“Cooley Rosalent (by Valent out of Bellaney Jewel (Roselier) bred by Woods Rosbotham) is a very sensitive mare. Brave, brave, brave and great to ride across country. She’s got a lot of blood and is very aware of everything around us so if a bird flies out from a bush going up the gallops, you will find yourself at the other side of the gallops! She is spooky and a baby in some ways but she has all the ability in the world and an incredible amount of gallop.”

Sourcing

Townend said his model is generally to find and buy the horses himself and then bring on owners, with Ireland his number one destination for sourcing them.

“Richard Sheane was the one to call me to say he thought he had a good one with Cooley Rosalent and an old friend called me about Ballaghmor Class but I am constantly looking myself too.

"I’d say on average we have a trip to Ireland once a month. I’m constantly backwards and forwards, but I’m very fortunate now that I live only 40 minutes from Holyhead. We are regulars at the sales, especially Goresbridge and I enjoy the Go for Gold Sale a lot. I have a lot of friends in Ireland so we usually tie in a bit of socialising as well but what it always boils down to is trying to find the next superstar.

“I’m a massive follower of sires. If I find a sire that I like I really get behind them. At one point we had something like 12 Master Imp’s in. Then we had seven Ramiro B’s in. I like Courage II because of Ballaghmor Class, Valent because of Rosalent. Basically if I’ve ridden a superstar by the sire at least I know that it’s possible for the sire to have a superstar.

“New sires that I’d be excited about are Lagans OBOS Quality and we’ve just had our first Rock’N’Roll Ter Putte that we seem to like a lot. I try and keep them as pure as possible with a thoroughbred dam, or as near as possible to it, and a jumping sire or a thoroughbred sire and a superstar jumping dam.

“I think Irish breeding took a bit of a backward step 10 or 15 years ago when everyone thought foreign was the way forwards but I really believe now that is getting better again.

“I think we became a little bit foreign-obsessed, and that was going to happen because we had the likes of Cavalier Royale who produced a lot of superstars but we allowed the wrong foreign into Ireland, in my mind. But at the same time, without that experience, how do you know what’s wrong and what’s right?

“I think that there’s some really cool pedigrees back out there now. I really like that it’s going back blood with the mares and with the right jumping sire onto a TB mare, you could end up with a superstar jumper or you could end up with a superstar eventer.

“I just think we need to stay as pure as possible on both sides. But I suppose who am I to say? There are better people breeding horses than me, but at the same time, I’ve been to many different countries and for whatever reason, Ireland works for me and I’ll continue to be Ireland’s biggest supporter.”